Car crash mother loses unborn baby

A mother whose two-year-old son died in a head-on collision has also lost her
unborn baby.

A black Vauxhall Vectra driven by a Polish man in his 20s, collided with a car carrying the family-of-three from Ireland, between Gallows Gate and Kerswell Gardens

6:30PM BST 07 Jul 2012

A mother whose two-year-old son died in a head-on collision has lost her unborn baby, police said last night.

The unnamed woman and her husband were still fighting for their life after the crash, in which the other driver, a Polish man, died.

Last night police said they had called in murder investigators and disclosed that the Polish man had been arrested after the crash, which they described as “high speed”. He was taken to hospital in Torquay, Devon, where he died.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is also investigating because the collision was witnessed by a police officer. Devon and Cornwall Police said the officers was not involved in a pursuit of either car.

The crash happened when the Vauxhall Vectra the Polish man was driving collided with a Volkswagen Golf carrying the family-of-three in Hamelin Way, Torquay at 2.45pm on Friday.

The 36-year-old mother and 39-year-old father, who are from Ireland, were cut from the wreckage and taken to hospital. Their two-year-old son died.

A police spokesman said: “The male driver remains in intensive care in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth and in a critical condition having undergone surgery.

“The 36-year-old woman, who was a front seat passenger, was initially conveyed to Torbay Hospital but later transferred by land ambulance to Derriford Hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

“The female casualty was pregnant and an operation was carried out to save the unborn child. However, the child did not survive.”

The road was closed for more than 10 hours while the vehicles were recovered and forensic examinations took place. A police major crime investigation team - which usually deals with murders and other serious crimes - and serious collision investigation unit are both looking into the circumstances of the crash.

Eyewitnesses had claimed that the Vauxhall appeared to have driven deliberately at the Golf, but police refused to comment.

Twenty-five emergency service vehicles attended the incident, along with three air ambulances, including one from Dorset, which helped to take all four occupants of the cars to hospital.

Paul Netherton, Assistant Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, said yesterday: “This was an extremely traumatic incident where emergency services were working on the family at the scene and subsequently in ambulances and at the hospital, and it has been traumatic on all those involved.

“It was a head-on collision at speed. The black Vectra was coming down the hill and appears to have swerved into the path of the oncoming car.”

He added the adverse weather conditions being experienced throughout the country did not contribute to the cause of the collision.

Mr Netherton said because the driver of a police car witnessed the crash, the force has referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission as a matter of course.